Tracking device for automatic musical instruments.



j. A. WESER. flECD.

E. L. WESER. ADMINISTRATRIX.

TRAGKING DEVICE'FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICAHON FILED FEB. l9, i911- Iat ented Dec. 24, 1918.

Inn: was mu: 0: malnunnL WASIIIIIGYUIL a c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. \VESER, OF NEW YORK, N. 1.; ELSIE L. WESER, ADMINISTRATRIX OE SAID JOHN ALBERT WESER, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR IO WESER BROS. INC., F 'NEIV YORK,

N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TRACKING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

Application filed rebl-uar ia siv. Serial No. 149,472.

To aZ whom 2'2? may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. WEsEma citizen of the United States, and a resident movement of the controlling member for the tracking devices is initiated by the frictional drag of the music sheet on the controlling member exerted in the direction of move ment of the note sheet to control the lateral alinement. In the. present invention this novel principle of operation is retained but the particular embodiment'is different and, perhaps, superior, in some respects. As is pointed out in said Letters Patent, the con trolling member mightbe placed in any relation to the music sheet without departing from the spirit of the invention so long as the movement of this controlling member is initiated by lateral drag thereon exerted by the sheet in the direction of its movement. In said patent the controlling member comprises a. pivoted bar, the longitudinal edge of which rests in engagement with the rear surface of the traveling note sheet which bar is adapted t be rocked upon deviation of the sheet whereby a differential frictional drag is imposed. on the bar. In the present embodiment the frictional drag exerted by the sheet in the direction of its travel is transmitted to the controlling member at the edges of the sheet. Normally, the sheet remains entirely out of contact with the controlling member but, upon wandering, engages the same and immediately 1n1t1ates operation of the tracking members by the frictional drag exerted on the controlling member in the direction of movement of the sheet. The invention will be described in greater detail hereinafter as will other details of importance related to its successful practice. In the drawings Figure l is a view in front elevation of so much of a tracker box and music sheet as is necessary for an understanding of the application of the improved tracking mechanism thereto.

Fig. 2 is a detail view in plan of the controlling member. Fig. 3 is a detail view in elevation of the controlling member showing the same in tilted position for initiating operation of' the tracking mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a detailed view on an enlarged scale, partly in vertical section and partly 111 elevation, of the valve chest for controlling the bellows.

- Fig. 5 is a detail view in section of the controlling member and its support taken along the plane indicated by the line 55 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction. of the arrows.

Fig. 6 isa detail view at another portion of the controlling member taken along the plane indicated by the line 66 of Fig. 3

and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a detail view at another part of the controlling member, taken along the 9 plane indicated by the line 77 of Fig. .0 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

In Fig. 1, thereis illustrated, somewhat conventionally, the usual elements of an automatic musical instrument, including the tracker box a, the music roll 6, the wind-on roll 0, the carrier spool d and the tracker bar 6, all of which may be disposed inthe usual relationship to each other. Rotation of the wind-on roll 0 may be effected through any suitable driving mechanism associated with the gear 0, which may be carried with a sliding clutch collar 0 movable into and out of engagement with the cooperating clut'ch collar 0 on the shaft c of the spool 1n a manner often employed. The shaft 03 of the carrier spool d also carries a suitable clutch collar (2 with which may cooperate a sliding clutch sleeve (Z on which is formed a. sprocket 614 connected operatively with the gearc through suitable transmission elements indicated generally at f. These transmission elements may be driven from any available source of power, their shaft f being considered for the purposes of this application a source of power. The sliding clutch collars 0 (Z are interconnected by a shifting lever g by which the collars may be thrown alternately int and out of driv ing engagement with their respective spools for winding or rewinding of the sheet. In describing the improved tracking devices, it has been elected to illustrate the Wind-on roll as being shiftable axially for the purpose of restoring the traveling sheet to its intended path but, as is well recognized in the art of tracking devices, it is equally Within the scope of the invention to mount this roll fixedly in the tracker box a and make provision for the shifting of the tracker bar 6 for restoration of the desired registration betweenthe perforations Z) in the note sheet, 5 and. the usual ducts c inthe tracker bar.

In this embodiment there is mounted on some convenient support, such as the tracker bar 6, atthe rear side of the music sheet 6, a pivoted bar it, the supporting pinh of which may be journaled in, a bracket 6 carried on a plate 2". This pin/t may be held. releasably against axial movement by means of a spring rod which is supported on the plate 2" and may enter registering grooves 6 if cut in the bracket 2' and thepln Zt respectively. By tripping the rod 76 the pin it may be released and removed from the supporting bracket. ()n the carrier 72, oron the screw rod Z supported thereon, are mounted two forwardly extending ea s m. Theseears are of such form andso spaced as to receive between them loosely the traveling sheet 5 and yet be maintained res, ectively, in such close proximity to the edges of the sheet as to be engaged thereby whenover the sheet deviates from its intendet pathof travel ever so slightly. lhcseears,

'. being threaded on to the screw red Z, may )1? I a which are disposed at opposite moved toward or away from one. :mothcr by manipulation of suitable, knurled nuts t on the endesof the rod Z, so to facilitate the adjustment of the ears with relation to itheweb. in this way, Webs of. differing widths maybe used with the improved tracking-devices with the same effectiveness.

l lormally, the bar it is held ina truly horizontal position by spring-pro d stops sides of thepivot pin 71, and engage the-under face of the bar with antifriction bearing heads a. When in this position, the bar It is held away from its seats on the air ducts ouwhich may be formed in the plate 2'. i-lowever, the. bar It is disposed in close pror' imityi to theseducts so that when itjs tilted. to one side or the other, it WillSQZltDQ011801? the ducts as is indicated in Fig. 3. These ducts are connected by tubes 0 with a valve chest 0 of the usual character with the interior of which communicate the main windeway 0 and separate tubes 0* in the-,Seconnr chambers, .which tubes lead to the beliows 2, 0 bywhich the shiftable element of the tracking mechanism moved for restoring registration. There is nothing new in the pneumatic features of the illustrated embodiment and, indeed, it will be evident that not only may the pneumatic controls be changed by one skilled in the art within wide ranges, without departing from the principle used in initiating their operation, but equivalent mechanical and electrical actuating devices may be substituted in their place. The movable members 10 of the actuating bellows g2, 22 are interconnected by a bridge piece 39 so as to move in unison and one of these movable, members 12 of the bellows 39 carries an arm p for engagement with the lever 39 by which the shiftable roll all is moved whenever. the bellows p, 10 have their conditions changed by the controlling member for the sheet. The lever p may be fulcrumed on the tracker box and have its free end, in en a ement with the endof the shaft cl for theshiftable spool d, move ment of this. shaft under the action of the lever p being opposed by a spring (2 dis posed. at theotherend of. the spool and en gaged operatively with the end of the shaft 61?.

WVhile certain adjunct devices are provided'for insuringthe free and uniform rewinding ofthe sheet, these devices will be referred to hereinafter and the description of the operation of the tracking n'ieinbers when active be set forth now. After the sheet is placed in position in the usual man nor the cars we are moved toward or away from one another by the knurled nuts Z to receive the sheet loosely, but yet remain in close proximity. to. the edges thereof. The drivingdevices are set in operation and t1 c composition isplayed in the usual way. So long as the sheettravels in its intended path and registration is. correct the bar it is held off its seats on the air'ducts 0 by the springp'ressed studs 12. At this time atmospheric air is admittedto theprimaries of the valve chest 0 so thatthe bellows p, p are subjected constantly to the partial vacuum of the main .wind.-way '0' and balance one an other-so that there isv no tendency for the shiftable roll-d to move. If the sheet wanders in either direction, however, its edge will engage the corresponding ear in and the frictional drag exerted on this ear in the direction of movement of the sheet will tilt the bar it about its pin it andagainst the action of the opposedspring studa until the bar seatson the. corresponding airduct 0. F or instance, in Fig. 3, the sheet is indicated as having wanderedv to the left, so that the ear at the left end of the bar it has impressed on it the frictionaldragand the bar isseat ed on the duct at the left-end of the plate 2''. Atmospheric. pressure is thereupon cut oil from the corresponding primaryand the bellows 39 has its communication with the main Wind-Way 0 interrupted. This bellows then tends to expand while the other bellows p collapses. The lever 37 is there upon rocked by the moving arm 39' so as to permit the sprlng (Z to shift the spool (Z toward the right thereby correcting immediately the wandering of the sheet and restoring registration of the perforations b and the ducts c. lVhen the sheet is thus restored to its proper path its edge will be withdrawn from engagement with the ear on so that the spring-pressed studs a will be free to restore the bar it to its truly normal position whereupon atmospheric air wvill be admitted to the closed duct 0 and the bellows p, 72 through their controlling secondaries will both be connected to the windway 0 and thereby balanced.

In tracking devices in which so called lateral control is relied on, a substantial deviation must be realized before the tracking members are responsive. A substantial lateral deviation in a forwardly traveling sheet. requires a very substantial movement of the sheet forward so that such lateral control cannot be said to be sensitive. In the present construction, however, it is evident that immediately upon a very slight wandering of the sheet laterally, the extent being determined by the distance between the edge of the sheet and the ears m, the controlling bar has immediately pressed upon it a frictional drag exerted in the direction of travel of the sheet and immediately moved to initiate operation of the tracking members. So responsive are the devices that the sheet need travel forwardly only a very slight distance before registration is entirely restored.

For rewinding, it has been deemed desirable to provide means for rendering the tracking mechanism inactive. The means 1 provided are automatic. The air pipes o in addition to their connection with the valve chest 0 are led to a controlllng valve 0 which is, in turn, connected by a link 9 to the controlling clutch lever g. The operation is such that whenever the lever g is rocked to bring the actuating mechanism into rewind position the valve 0 is automatically moved to open the pipes 0' to atmospheric pressure, so that even if the bar it is rocked to close one of the ducts 0 this tion, some means forcentralizing the spool (Z during the rewind and preventing its free axial movement. may be evolved, in the illustrated embodiment there has been shown a leaf spring I which is secured to the tracker box a and cooperates, as through a pin 29", with one of the movable members of one of the bellows 72. This spring is limited in its upward While many such devices travehng note sheet, pneumatic means for movementyby a suitable button stop a, while intermediateconnections, the action of the spring 03 and thereby centralize the spool (Z regardless of the condition of the bellows p, p. 7

With the improved itracking devices there has been associated a slid'able. tracker. bar Which may be moved manually through fixed distances which bear the proper relation to the distances between the ducts in the tracker bar, for the purpose of transposing. No matter what relation the tracker bar bears to the music sheet, it is evident that the tracking devices heretofore de scribed will function in their desired manner. For transposing the tracker bar 6 is slidable in'the tracker box, its position being controlled by a manually operable swinging lever g which is pivoted on the tracker box and connected to the tracker bar. On this lever may be carried pivotally a spring-pressed detent g which has a stud g cooperating with a fixed rack bar 9 carried on the tracker box. By raising the detent g and swinging the lever arm g the tracker bar may be given any desired relation to the music sheet. The key to which this adjustment effects the transposition may be indicated by graduations on the rack bar 1* over which the detent 9 moves.

As indicated hereinbefore, mechanical or electrical tracking members may be sub stituted for the pneumatic system. provided so long as the controlling member for such tracking devices has its movement initiated by frictional drag exerted thereon in the direction of movement of the sheet. From this indication of the latitude of the inven tion it will be evident that the particular mechanical devices shown may be changed through wide ranges so long as their prescribed functions are realized in the accomplishment of the intended result. Further, while the ears on have been shown as being carried on a rocking bar, it is evident that their equivalents may be supported independently of each other and yet be subjected to the frictional drag described for the purpose of controlling independently, means for initiating operation of the tracking elements.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a musical instrument employing'a effecting the lateral displacement of the note sheet, and a controlling member having devices for contact with'the edge of the'sheet and controlled by the frictional drag of the edge of the sheet thereon exerted in the direction of-niovementof the sheet-for iii-- itiating operation of saidpneumaticmeans.-

2. In a musical instrument; employinga traveling note sheet, means for effecting-the lateral displacement of'the note'sheet; anda pivoted bar having at: its opposite ends devices for contactwith theopposite edges of the sheet-and controlled bythe frictional-- drag of the edge ofthe sheet on said devices? having devices for contact with the edgeoli' exerted in the direction of movement oi thesheet: upon wandering of the sheet for" initiatingoperation ofsaid means 3. In" a musical instrument employing a traveling; note 'Sl189t', pneumatic means for A .efiecti'ng the "lateral displacement ofwthe note sheet, and a pivoted bar having-"at:its---oppo-- site ends devices for contact'with the opp'o--- site edges of the-sheet'and controlled byflthe frictional dragof'thc-edgeof the; sheet on c: said" devices exerted in the direction fol:

movement of the sheet upon wandering of; the sheet for initiating "operation a of said;

meansw v 4. In a musical instrument employing a traveling note sheet, means for effecting the:

lateral displacement of the note sheet, a music roll, a winding-onrroll, a tracker bar,-

and means interposed between one of" the rolls and the tracker bar and havingdevices for contact with the edge ofthe sheet and controlled by the frictionaldrag ofthe edge of the sheet thereon exerted in the --d1rection= of movement or the 'sheet-foriiiitiating operation of said first named means:

5. In a musical instruments employing a traveling note sheet, means for efiecting-the-= lateral displacement of the note sheet, a

music roll, a winding-onrolh'a trackerbar; and a pivoted bar disposed between oneoii the rolls and the tracker, bar-and "having l devices for contact with the-edge of thew sheet and controlled by the frictional-drag of the edge of the slieeta-thereon exerted in the direction oi 'movement of the sheet for lnitiatingoperation of saidmeans;

6. In a musical instrument employing a frictional drag of the edge of the sheet there on exerted inthedirection of movement of the sheet to control said valves.-

T In a musical instrument employingfatraveling note sheet, motor bellows and "devices operated thereby to maintain thesheet in *its'norinal path of travel, a main windway connected operatively to said bellowsand serving normally to subject the-same to'pressure'valves to control the action-of: said bellows, and controlling 1 means having devices for contact with the edgeoii the sheet and controlled by the frictional drag of the edge, of the sheet thereon exerted in the direction of-mov-ement of the sheet to control Y saidvalves.

8. In a musical instrument employing a traveling note sheet, motor bellows and deg vices operated thereby to maintain the sheet in its normal path of travel valves to control the action of said bellows, and a pivoted bar the sheet and controlled by the frictional drag ofth e edge of the sheet thereon exerted inthe direction of movement of the-sheet to control said-valves.

9. Ina musicalinstrumentemploying a traveling note sheet, a music roll, a windingon roll, a tracker bar, motor bellows and de- T vices-floperated thereby tomaintainthe sheet in its normal path of travehvalv'es to control the action of said bellows and a pivoted bar mounted between one of the rolls and the tracker-bar and having devicesfor contact with-the edge of the sheet andcontrolled-by thefrictional drag of the edge of the sheet thereon exerted in the direction of movement of thesheet to control said valves.

10L In a musical instrument employing a traveling note sheet, a music roll, a windingon roll,a tracker bar, one of the rolls and the tracker bar being relatively shiftable, operating means for the shiftable member, and means having devices for contact with the edgeof-the sheet and-controlled by the frictional'drag of the edge of the sheet thereon exerted in the direction of movement of the sheet for-initiating operation of 'saidioperats ingmeans.

11. In a musical instrument employing a traveling note sheet amusic roll, it windingon roll, a tracker bar, one of the rolls and the tracker" bar being relatively "shiftable,

operating meansconnected to the shiftable member, motor bellows connected with said operating means to operate the same, and

means having devices for contact with the edgeof the sheet and controlled by the frictional drag of the edge ofthe sheet thereon exerted inthe direction of movement of the sheet-for initiating operation of the motor bellows.

l2." In'a musical instrumentemploying a traveling; note sheet, a music roll, a windingon roll,"atracker bar, one of the rolls and the tracker bar being relatively shiftable, an

oscillating device in operative relation with the shiftable member, two motor bellows connectedtto the oscillating device in opposition to one another, and means having devices for contact with the edge of the sheet and controlled by the frictional drag of the edge ofthe sheet thereon exerted in the di-' rection of movement of the sheet for initiating operation of said bellows. I

13. In a musical instrument employing a traveling note sheet, motor bellows and devices operated thereby to maintain the sheet in its normal path of travel, valves normally way connected to the bellows and normally subjecting the same to pressure, valves open to the atmosphere to control the connection between the bellows and the wind-way, and a pivoted bar having devices for contact with the edge of the sheet and controlled by the frictional drag of the edge of the sheet thereon exerted in the directlon of movement of the sheet for initiating operation of said valves.

15. In a musical instrument-employing a traveling note sheet, means for effecting the lateral displacement of the note sheet, a pivoted bar having devices for contact with the edge of the sheet and controlled by the frictional drag of the edge of the sheet thereon exerted in the direction of movement of the sheet, devices acted upon by said bar to initiate operation of said means, and springpressed studs engaging said pivoted bar at opposite sides of its pivot to hold it yieldingly out of engagement with said last named devices. I

16. In a musical instrument employing-a traveling note sheet, a rewind mechanism in cluding a clutch, motor bellows and devices operated thereby to maintain the sheet in its normal path of travel, air ducts to control the bellows, a controlling member for said air ducts, independent air ducts to place said bellows in inactive condition during the rewind, and a valve connected operatively to said clutch to control said last named ducts, whereby upon throwing of the clutch the ducts are opened.

17. In a musical instrument employing a traveling note sheet, bellows to maintain the sheet in its normal path of travel, means to place said bellows in inactive condition during rewind, and a spring cooperating with the bellows to hold them in centralized position during rewind.

18. In a musical instrument employing a traveling note sheet, means for efiecting the lateral displacement of the note sheet, a controlling member having devices for Contact with the edge of the sheet and controlled by the frictional drag of the edge of the sheet thereon exerted in the direction of movement of the sheet, and means independent of the sheet for restoring the controlling member to normal inoperative position.

This specification signed this 14th day of February, A. D. 1917.

JOHN A. WESER.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

